The Boy Across the Street
by The Dark Crimson Blood
Summary: Children are being abused and help doesn't come until it's too late. The World Today series #5


**World Today Series #5**  
**Author**: The Dark Crimson Blood  
**Story Title:** The Boy Across the Street  
**Characters**: Luffy, Ace  
**Genres**: Angst/Tragedy  
Words: 1,534  
**Summary**: Children are being abused and help doesn't come until it's too late.  
**Ask me anything**: ask . fm / CherryLynnn

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So, there's this boy who moved in across the street.

The child's name is Luffy. He has big childish eyes, round cheeks, messy hair, and the brightest smile Ace has ever seen. The first impression Ace gets from the child is that he's rather energetic. This child is hyperactive and just plain happy no matter what he's doing. He's tiny for seven years old; he skinny and short and looks like he could be five but that doesn't stop him from jumping around like a child in a candy store. From the very first day he moved in, he's come to visit Ace every second he get the chance to. Ace doesn't mind; it's not annoying and it gives him something to do.

Besides, Ace likes the company.

As time passes Ace begins learning more and more about this hyperactive child. He absolutely love pirates, he practically inhales food when it's placed in front of him, and the simplest of things amuse him. He must be easy to take care of, as long as no one gives him sugar. The child bounced off the walls enough, even without sugar. Besides being extremely hyperactive, Luffy's strangely responsible when no one is looking. It's the small things that no one really pays attention to, but Ace notices. When Luffy washes dishes he makes sure every speck of food is off the plate and holds onto the plate as if he's afraid he'll drop it at any given second. He folds clothing without a single error and then puts it away in an orderly fashion, it's as if he's worried he'll get in trouble for doing something wrong.

He hardly ever asks for anything, and he always leaves Ace's house at the same exact time everyday. He never gets stains on his shirt and he never spills food on the ground, it's odd. Ace can't help but think of his behavior as strange, because he has never really seen a child act this way before. It's new to him. Maybe it could be some sort of complex, or maybe even a case of O.C.D he hadn't been informed of. Maybe he's just worried for no reason, so he brushes it off and ignores it.

Ace doesn't ask questions.

At least, he doesn't ask questions until Luffy visits him again with a bloody wound underneath his eye. At that point Ace panics. There's just so much blood that he doesn't know what to do, he worries and runs his shaking hands through his hair before finally pulling himself together. He collects himself and takes him to the hospital, paying for the bill and taking the child home afterwards. Apparently the wound was caused by a knife, it seemed to be a clean cut so it couldn't have been an accident.

Surly Luffy couldn't have done it to himself right?

Ace wonders how it happened; Luffy doesn't seem to want to talk about it when he wakes up, so Ace leaves it alone. That same day, Luffy doesn't seem to want to go home. He's hesitant and far more clingy than he usually is; Ace questions this but even though he gets no answers, he lets the child stay the night anyway. However, the door rings around eight at night and Luffy's harshly rushed home by a woman with bags underneath her eyes and a scowl on her face.

The hate in her eyes is painfully obvious.

Ace watches as the woman literally shoves her son into the house and slams the door behind her. Ace worries about Luffy, and he can't help but wonder what kind of parents Luffy has. He's never met them before, and this is really the first time he's seen them. He wonders what they're doing to Luffy at home, he wonders if their abusing him- hurting him in anyway. Surly that couldn't be the case, right? Luffy was far too happy for that to happen, right? Ace never gets his answer, because after this incident, Luffy doesn't visit again for at least a week and a half.

When he finally visits again, the bruises on his legs and arms are far too visible to ignore. Cuts and scrapes and just about every minor injury possible litter his body and Ace raises an eyebrow at this. Luffy doesn't seem to want to talk about anything, and so the day goes on with Luffy avoiding the subject completely. They talk about pirates and have lunch together and throw their problems to the wind.

From that point on, things get worse.

Ace has to slam his hands down when Luffy visits with a cast around his arm and blotchy red eyes. There is no possible way he can ignore this anymore, but every time he tries to talk about what's going on at home with this child, Luffy clenches his jaw and doesn't say a word. It frustrates Ace that Luffy won't talk to him; why can't the child understand that he's only trying to help? It's so painfully obvious what's going on, so why won't Luffy just admit it?

For the second time since they met each other, Luffy tries to stay later than he's allowed to. This time the woman who came last time is nowhere to be found, and for a moment, Ace is relieved. The woman left a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he thought it would be better to keep Luffy as far away from her as possible. This moment of relief ends when he catches sight of the man who came instead. He smells of alcohol, his hair is a mess, and his clothing is tattered. He sways from side to side and grabs Luffy by his neck before turning to leave, Ace can already see the red bruises forming on the child's skin.

"Don't hurt him, I'm the one who lost track of time." Ace had said to try and curve the situation towards a more positive direction. He wanted to keep the blame off of Luffy, so the man wouldn't hurt the poor child anymore. This plan fails as the man chooses to ignore him in favor of rushing his son home... That night Ace stays up listening to the screams of a child who didn't do anything wrong.

The very next day, Ace discovers that Luffy was sent to the emergency that night. He can't just not do anything anymore, and he soon finds himself calling the police. He can't just watch a child suffer anymore, it's not right. It takes about an hour for the police arrive, they investigate and ask questions and leave. Nothing happens, no problems are solved, and things are even worse than before. Then again, maybe they did something useful, because on the very same day Luffy comes to visit him with a grin that spreads from ear to ear. Somehow, he finds himself smiling with him.

That was the last day Ace is able to see Luffy smile.

After a day of carefree fun, Luffy goes home with the promise to come back the next day. It never happens. Ace finds himself watching the police force Luffy's parents into a police car, their hands are cuffed behind their backs and their faces are sorrowful. Ace smiles, happy that they're finally being arrested for abusing their child. It had been going on for such a long time and now it was finally over. Ace planned on celebrating with Luffy, and maybe even adopting him into his family. He wouldn't mind having such a cute little brother bringing life to his empty house.

The smile wipes off of his face as he watches medics exit the house, moving the body of a small child into a black body bag. His skin is pale and yet he looked so familiar. It's not_ 'Luffy, it's not Luffy, it's not Luffy,' _He continues to repeat inside of his head, but it's useless. It's too painfully obvious what happened. He feels his body begin to shake and his voice die in his throat.

Luffy's parents aren't being arrested for child abuse.

They're being arrested for murder.

Ace drops to his knees.

Luffy's dead.

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**A/N: In the world today, children are subjected to abuse until things get far worse.**  
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****REVIEW: Let me know what you think :)**

**I****f you guys have any ideas for my 'World Today' series let me know. I'll credit you if I use your idea. **  
**  
Current Ideas**  
**-Speeding**  
**-Car accident**

_**~Crimsy**_


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